Who invented the Shotgun formation?

Answer 1

The shotgun formation was invented by Howard "Red" Hickey, who, as the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, unveiled the new formation in a game against the Baltimore Colts in November, 1960, in order to give his quarterback more time to evade the Colts' awesome pass rush. The 49ers won the game, and later Hickey, as an assistant coach, convinced Dallas Cowboys head coach Tom Landry to use the formation, leading to its use throughout the NFL.

The above answer is not fully accurate. The shotgun predates Red Hickey use of the formation in 1960. It was invented by Howard Fletcher, the Head Coach at Northern Illinois University (before it was actually a university, but a Teacher's College). Coach Fletcher unveiled the shotgun spread in the late 1950's, winning a National College Championship in 1963. In fact, George Bork became the first college 3,000 yard passer in a single season, including all divisions all the way up to what became Division IA. Red Hickey most likely learned of the shotgun, as he scouted a number of NIU players. In fact, George Bork was heavily scouted by the 49'ers during the 1963 season. He eventually played in Canada, as he was considered too small for the NFL.